


rusted hearts

by AlexielMihawk ENG (AlexielMihawk)



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game), Guild Wars Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 04:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17974442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexielMihawk/pseuds/AlexielMihawk%20ENG
Summary: «I’m not sure this is a good idea» said Braham.«Well, my friend, we are pretty lucky it wasn't one of yours. Those are the truly terrible ideas».«Thanks for the input, Canach, now shut the fuck up. Plan is solid» remarked the Commander, putting the silencer on the gun.«You small bois bet it is. I planned it myself along with the rest of the council» laughed Eir, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.





	rusted hearts

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE, also I didn't have the time to re-read this before posting as it's for a challenge.
> 
> Ok, that being said. I haven't been writing for a while, and it seems I forgot how words work, so bare with me. 'm sorry for any mistake you'll find.  
> This is a Zombie!AU, placed in a modern setting, I kept the different races, but not the magic.  
> The commander mentioned here is my main game character, her name's Eileen Oleander and she's a human revenant. 
> 
> Also, this story was written for the Italian annual challenge called CoW-T, week 3, M1.  
> Chosen prompt: AU, ANGST, GEN.

Hordes of zombies had taken the city. They kept running around, moving in circles, with no purpose, no will. The Zaithan virus had succeeded in destroying the majority of life forms on the planet and no one, not even the Pact knew how to stop it. 

The Pact was an organization forged to react to world scale crisis, reuniting the most brilliant minds of different nations, the most clever, athletic, strong and agile survivors of Tyria. Despite this, no one had been able to find a solution, yet.

The squad had been sent investigating a rumor, something about a group of survivor, it had been a week since they had departed and they were already exhausted. There were eight of them: the Commander, Eir Stegalking (second in command and member of the restricted active council), her son Braham, a young engineer called Taimi, a biology phd named Marjory and her wife, an ex lawyer, Kasmeer, last but not least were the charr, Rox, who used to work in a reserve as a ranger before the virus infected everything, and the sylvari, Canach, a bomb disposal engineer.

«I’m not sure this is a good idea» said Braham.

«Well, my friend, we are pretty lucky it wasn't one of yours. Those are the truly terrible ideas».

«Thanks for the input, Canach, now shut the fuck up. Plan is solid» remarked the Commander, putting the silencer on the gun.

«You small bois bet it is. I planned it myself along with the rest of the council» laughed Eir, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.

«We are setting the perimeter here, this will be our safe house as it’s difficult to reach and it’s well protected. Taimi you’ll guide us from here, everyone had a transmitter, also we’ll use the gps to move along those buildings. If there’s still some of the antidote we need it’s gonna be in the house. We go in, we go out. Avoid every noise and for fuck’s sake, Canach, no bombing».

«You are no fun at all, Commander».

«I’ll send you back to Anise department in no time, then we’ll see who’s funnier».

Canach fell silent. He had served under the Shining Blade division of the resistance for a while and it had not been fun, not at all.

The Marshal and the oldest member of the military division had been able of finding the blueprints of that place. Jhavi had almost lost an arm while retrieving it and it was a miracle she was still alive. It should have been an easy mission, they were supposed to know everything about the place. 

The target was an old manor, they said it was the original house of the man who had created the virus, and they also said it was where the notions on how it was created were preserved: all the data, the hard disk with the informations, the computers. They had to bring back as much documents as possible, also they had been ask to look for a possible cure.

Of course there was a secondary mission, there was always a secondary mission.

 

____

_ «Datas on the disease are important» Doern told the Commander, after summoning her in his office «But there’s something else hidden in the house. There’s a usb key I need you to find, it’s light blue, looks like a small necklace pendant and it has the form of a dragon». _

_ «What the heck is that?» _

_ «Riel didn’t say». _

_ «I’m not risking the lives of my people if I don’t have a good reason. A very good reason». _

_ «You would have once» told her the chief of the Secret Intelligence Services.  _

_ «You are right. I used to, and I did it many times. Then Tybs died and no one batted an eye». _

_ Riel sighed, reached for her hand and faced the Commander. _

_ «I trust you, Eileen, which is why you have to trust me. But, since I trust you there is, as a matter of fact, something I can tell you». _

__ She leaned forward to her ear and whispered.  
____  


 

Anyways, it was supposed to be an easy mission, but none of them was so sure anymore. 

The Commander left Eir in change as she moved upstairs exploring the bedroom quarter of the Manor.

«This is a bad idea».

«Shut up, Canach, you can always go with the others».

«And leave you alone in this magnificent and definitely not filled with dust manor?» the Sylvari mumbled, passing a finger on the dirty furniture «Not a chance».

Eileen smiled, while opening drawers and looking around in a meticulous search.

«Must be something important» noticed Canach.

«What?»

«The thing you are desperately looking for».

She froze for a second and raised her eyes.

«Informations on the cure?» she asked «Of course, they are vital, you could say».

«I appreciate the pun, Commander, but I’m not stupid, and frankly your frantic search kinda gives it away».

She didn’t answer.

«We both know» he kept going «No one would keep that kind of informations in here.

«Canach...»

«Although apparently they’d keep a giant photo of Councilman Thackeray in their bedroom».

«Wait, what?» Eileen turned around and slipped something in her pocket, taking advantage from the moment of distraction of her companion who was pointing at one of the wall.

«What the hell...» she stuttered.

«I must snap this and send to everyone I know».

«Logan will skin you alive» the Commander noticed.

«True that. I’ll keep it in my phone then, and use it to blackmail him if I ever need to».

«A truly honest man-»

A scream interrupted their conversation and they both run out of the room in a hurry.

The hall of the house was a mess of blood. The huge mutated animal was standing in the middle of it, his teeth were deep inside Eir stomach and back.

Braham had his rifle in his arms and was shooting like crazy.

«Stop him before he attracts the entire hive living two blocks from here» said the commander as she gestured Kasmeer and Marjory to move on the side so that they could shot the beast down with multiple precision shot.

«Damn fucker!» Braham was shouting as Canach grabbed him from the back disarming and moving him away right a few seconds before the shots were fired and the mutated beast fell on the ground lifeless. This time forever.

Eir was spitting blood as everyone jumped to her side, trying to help.

«Let me go, she’s my mom» the Norn protested as he run to held her in his arms.

«It’s okay, kid» the woman said, trying without success to caress his face «I’m sorry, Braham. I was never a good mother to you. Still, I’ve loved you».

The young man took her hand and brought her hand to his heart.

«Please don’t, don’t say it, we can still save you, right? Kas? Commander? Rox?»

«I’m not stupid, Braham, I’ve been killing things all my life, I was a hunter I know when someone is dying. And it’s okay. It was the time - » she coughed «And it was worthed».

«Mom, I-»

«Go. You have to go. NOW!» she shouted the last word, remarking the importance of running away. Everyone knew she was right.

They stood up, Braham was crying.

«Eileen, nay, Commander, I’m sorry to ask you this. But could you stay?» Eir snorted, spitting blood «Just for a moment».

Eir looked at her friend and saw the glimpse of pain in her eyes, yet the Commander nodded.

«Braham, go. Everybody out. Meeting point is the safe house» that was an order.

Braham looked at her in horror and relief, glad his mother hadn’t asked him to do this.

«I love you, Mom» he said.

«Love you too, young wolf» she smiled.

The group moved out and started running, although the return wasn’t as easy as it was to reach the manor, much more zombies were moving around, blocking the roads, hiding behind vehicles.

They were a couple of blocks over when the dull sound of a gunshot echoed in the distance. Braham stopped, forced his tears back in and resumed running.

 

Outside the sun had already setted when the Commander enter the safe house. 

Canach noticed her eyes were puffy and red, but for once he said nothing. The first floor was silent and she started to hear voices only as she approached the upstair rooms.

«I’ve hated her all my life» Braham was saying «I’ve been resenting her so much, and never once I tried to understand her. And now? Now I’ll never have the chance to know her».

The soft voice of Taimi filled the room.

«You were young and angry, which is something that, for my experience, is extremely common for members of the other races. To be honest I am small and angry too. And I don’t think you were wrong, Braham. You also loved her, it’s okay to have mixed feelings towards someone».

«She’s right» intervened Rox «And she loved you too, she knew how you felt and she knew you were doing your best to heal that broken relationship. She was proud of you. As your father would have been».

Eileen stopped, leaning behind the door jamb, she didn’t mean to hide, but she didn’t want to intrude either.

«And now they are both dead» he mumbled «He passed and the Commander killed my mother».

«She didn’t kill her» Rox sat next to her friend and passed her hair arm around his shoulder, in a comforting gesture.

«I know» Braham stuttered «Only… I wish there had been another way».

«I’m sorry» Taimi hugged him.

«I just... I guess that, although I’m big and tough, I’m scared. I’m alone now».

Eileen sighed, trying to find the courage to face her friend.

«You are not» said Rox.

«You’ll always have us» concluded Taimi «You’ll always have a family».

The Norn hugged both of them, and held them close. He could live with than.

The Commander stepped back into the darkness and turned back, descending the stairs.

«Aren’t you gonna join them?» asked her Canach as she approached him at the entrance, where he was on patrol.

«Not my place», she sat down, looking outside the bars of the window.

The Sylvari went silent for a second.

«Tell me, Commander, was it worthed? Was it really worthed?» he asked, referring to their deviation in the upper rooms.

She passed a hand over her face, the other one in the pocket holding the small dragon shaped usb key. On it, written in clear letters, one could read a name: A.U.R.E.N.E.

«I hope so, Canach. I hope so».

 


End file.
